Vehicle spring and shackle casing



Patented Nov. 17, 1925.

iUNITED ASTATES PATENT OFFICE..

'ALBERT B. BEITMAN, OF CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE ALBE MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATEON OF OHIO.

VEHICLE SPRING AND SHACKLE CASING.

Application filed March 4, 1922. Serial No. 541,007.

To all whom 'it 'may concer/n:

Be it known `that I, ALBERT B. BEITMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Clevelandl-leights, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Vehicle Spring and Shackle Casings, of which the following is a full, clear,` and exact descriptionyreference beinghad to the accompanying drawings.

i This invention relates to casings for vehiclesprings and spring shackles and it comprehends an embodiment `combining with a cover for a .vehicle spring, a shackle casing which constitutes an integral part of the cover to the end that-the enclosed .parts are protectedfagainst dirt, gritand the elementsand kept oiledby a suitable lubricant containedwithin the casing. i i i i The. objects of the invention are to provide a cover for a vehicle spring which has a partfor-enclosing the spring shackle; to provide acombined Vspring and shackle casing which is simple of construction, economical of production, convenient of attachment, which interferes in no way with the action of the spring and shackle, which may be of pliable material and conform to the contour of the parts, rendering it neat and attractive of appearance, and to provide such a casing withmeans for administering a suitable lubricant tothe parts enclosed thereby. Y i

VA further object is to provide a simple and inexpensive shackle casing, which may or--rnay notbe combined with a spring cover, constructed in part of flexible material which will conform to the shackle and adjust itself readily to the movements thereof and which includes metallic end -plates which give shape and stability to the casing.

To --the `attainment of the foregoing objects, and others which will appear as this description proceeds, my invention may be defined as consisting of the combination and arrangement of parts illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming a part hereof and wherein Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevation of a vehicle showing my improved covers applied tothe springs and shackles; Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the casings in the region` of the shackle, parts of the automobile being included; Figs.3 and 4 are similar views of a shacklecasing constructed inaccordance with my invention, the` former view showing the casing applied, while the latter illustrates it removed and open; and Fig.` 5 is a horizontal section through the shackle casing.

Fig, 1 illustrates in partial front` elevation a well known make of automobile, and from the axle 1 thereof the frame 2 is supported through the springs 3, `shackles 4 and spring hangers 5.

Covers 10,which are preferablyT made of a suitable flexible material and designed to conform to the shape of the spring, enclose the spring leaves from a point adjacent the frame 2 to their extreme outer ends where said covers join parts 11 that envelope the shackles 4. The parts 10 and 11 are preferably lined in part or in full with suitable absorbent material designated 12 which may be saturated with a suitable lubricant for keeping the spring leaves and shackle bolts well oiled at all times, the casing parts titting in such manner as to eifectually exclude dust and dirt and to protect the parts against the injurious effects of the elements. The part of the casing which encloses the vehicle spring may be formed as a sheath that is adapted to be wrapped about the spring and have its edge portions overlapped and secured togetherl by a suitable lacing 13 engaged over hooks 15 wherewith said edge portions are provided.4 The shackle enclosing part of the casing is shown as construct ed in part of a strip or band of iiexible materia-l, such as that whereof the spring cover is made, the strip constituting a. peripheral wall designated 16. This wall is slit, as at 17, from an opening 18, through which the spring hanger 5 extends, to an opening 19, through which the spring 3 enters shackle casing, the spring cover 10 joining the shackle casing about the latter opening.- Along each side of the slit. 17 are arranged hooks 2O over which the aforementioned lacing 13 is engaged to *hold the casing closed. A tubing or heading may be formed about the opening 18 and through it may be eX- tended the lacing 13 in the same manner that the lacing 34 is extended through`the heading 33 in the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 8 to 5 and presently to be described.

The shackle enclosing portion of the casing is shown as formed with metallicend walls 25 which are turned over and crimped the llU

about their edges in locking engagement with the edges of the peripheral Wall 1G. These metallic end Walls give shape and stability to the casing, and one or both ot them may be provided with a hole 26 through which a lubricating oil may be introduced into the casing and which will nd its way to all of the enclosed parts especially by virtue of the carrying quality of the absorbent material 12.

ln Figs. 3, A, and- 5 l have illustrated a modification oli the invention restricted to the spring' shackle casing' alone. Here a Wall 28 of pliable material is supported between metallic end walls 29, the Wall 28 being attached to the end Walls down one side across the bottom and up the other side, While' the top portion of the Wall 28 is tree from the end walls so that it may be thrown back as shown in F ig. el. The Wall 28 has an opening' 30 on one side i'or the admission 0i the end of the spring' hanger, and an opening 3l on the-other to accommodate the end of the vehicle spring. and the end portions of the Wall beyond the openings 30 and 31 are slitted, Aand along each side ot the slit the Wall is provided with hooks 32. A tubing or heading' 83 extends about the opening 8l and a suitable lacing 3A is passed therethrough, so that When the casing' is applied to a shackle and the parts folded over to enclose the same, as shown in Fig'. 3, the lacing 34 may be engaged over the hooks 32 to draw the casing into shape about the shackle. A heading' may be formed also around the opening' 30 and a resilient ivire 35 enclosed therein to cause the opening` to hug' the spring' hanger. The Wall 28 of the casing is preferably7 lined with a suitable absorbent material, as indicated at 3G. lVhen the casing' is closed, the side edges of the upper end o't the Wall 28 rest upon ledges 37 that are produced bv the depressed central' portions ol the end Walls.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is:

1.A A combined spring and shackle` casing' comprising a cover of pliable material for the spring, said cover throughout its length fitting snugly about the spring` and conforming in shapev therewith, and a second cover similarly fitting the shackle and having' an opening' through which the end oi the spring' extends, said opening' being a little larger than the cross sectional area of the part olf the spring which extends through it, the covers bei-ng' secured together about said opening' and capable of yielding' With respect to each other substantially according' to the relative movements of the spring and shackle.

2. A casing for a vehicle spring' and shackle comprising a part enclosing and conforming' to the shape of the spring' and a part enclosing' and conforming' to the shape of the shackle, the casing being made of flexible material and said parts having intercommunicating slits, and means for holding' the slits closed, said parts being'l capable ol yielding With respect to each other substantially according' to the relative movements of the spring and shackle.

A casing' for a vehicle spring and shackle comprising' a part for enclosing' the spring and a part for enclosing' the shackle, the spring enclosing' part being' constructed ot 'flexible material and the shackle enclosing part having a peripheral Wall of llexible material that is joined to the former part, and` metallic end -walls attached to th-e ends oli the peripheral Wall.

e. A casing' for a vehicle spring' and shackle comprising' a part for enclosing the spring and a part Jor enclosing' the shackle, the shackle enclosing part having an opening' for the admission of the end of the vehicle spring and a second opening i'or the admission of the spring hanger, the said part being slit between said openings, andy the spring' enclosing part having a slit joining that oi the shackle enclosing' part, and means 'for maintaining the slits closed.

A spring shackle casing comprisinga flexible cover designed to enclose and fit snugly about the shackle, the same having openings for the admission of the spring end and the spring hanger, the casing being slit between said openings, and means for holding the slit closed.

6. A spring shackle casing' comprising a flexible cover having openings for the admission or' the spring' end and ot' the spring hanger, the cover being slit between said opening's, a heading surrounding each of said openings, a resilient element enclosed Within one of said headings causing the opening to hug the part admitted therethrough, a lacing engaged through the heading' ot the other opening, and elements disposed along each side` of the slit over Which the lacing' may be engaged for holding the slit closed.

7. A spring shackle casing comprising a peripheral Wall, and end Walls applied thereto, the peripheral Wall having openings for the admission of the spring end and. of the spring hanger and being' slit circumferentially between said openings, and means for maintaining the slits closed. n

8. A spring' shackle casing' comprising a peripheral Wall, and end Walls applied thereto, the peripheral Wall having openings t'or the admission of the spring end and of the spring' hanger and being' slit circumerentia-lly and transversely between said openings, and means for maintain-ing the slits closed.

9. A spring shackle casing' comprising a peripheral Wall of pliable materia-l having openings for the admission of the ring hanger, and

spring end and of the s 2lic end Walls applic to the peripheral metal Wall.

10. A spring shackle casing com rising a peripheral Wall of pliable materia having openings for the admission of the spring end and the spring hanger, and metallic end walls applied thereto, one or both of said metallic end Walls having a lubricant opening.

ll. A spring shackle cover comprising a peripheral Wall of pliable material having openings for the admission of the s ring end and spring hanger and being slit ber tween said openings, means for maintaining the slit closed7 and metallic end Walls having their edges crimped about the lateral edges oi' the peripheral Wall for holding the parts together.

l2. A spring shackle casing comprising a peripheral Wa l having openings for the admission of the spring end and spring hanger, and end Walls to Which the peripheral wall is attached down one side, across the bottom and up the other side, the remaining portion of the peripheral Wall being free rom the end Walls to constitute a fiap for closing the top of the casing.

13. A spring shackle casing comprising a peripheral Wall of flexible material and metallic end Walls having outwardly extending peripheral ianges, the edge portions whereof are crimped about the lateral edges of the peripheral Wall, down one side, across the bottom and up the other side, the remaining portion of the peripheral Wall con stituting a iap for closing the top of the casing and arranged to bear at its edges upon the adjacent portions of the peripheral langes of the end Walls, the peripheral Wall having openings for the admission of the spring end and shackle support.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature.

ALBERT B. BEITMAN. 

